


The Logical Thing

by BrittaR (Taaya)



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: F/M, Reader Insert, Vulcan Culture, Vulcan Kisses, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 06:52:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19290487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taaya/pseuds/BrittaR
Summary: Based on a request: TOS Spock x fem!Reader (who is a Vulcan/Human hybrid like Spock but was raised on Earth instead of on Vulcan) are bonded in a Vulcan marriage contract so they get married (successfully this time for Spock)! I need all the romantic Vulcan fluff!You're new on the Enterprise, a ship you've chosen to apply for, because here is the only other vulcan/human hybrid you know of. The only one who's just as much as an outsider as you are. But little had you expected that you would end up with his father asking you to marry him ...





	The Logical Thing

When you stepped off the transporter pad of the USS Enterprise, you had no idea what to expect. But it had seemed to be the logical place for you to be. Logical. You definitely had mixed feelings for this word. Your Vulcan mother had tried to teach you the importance of logic, while your human father had told you to screw logic and just live your live.

That was exactly the reason why you had accepted your assignment to the Enterprise. While you had applied for jobs both at  planetside  science stations all over the Alpha Quadrant and on several starships, you had always known that you’d be a foreigner to all of them. Thanks to your ears, humans would never see you as one of them. And thanks to your barely suppressed emotions, Vulcans tended to actually find you … well, disgusting was too harsh a word. Especially since IDIC as a principle actually forced them to at least admire the fact of your existence. But that didn’t mean that they had to want to spend time with you or worse – serve with you.

As far as you knew there was only one person in this universe who knew how you felt: Commander Spock, First Officer of the USS Enterprise.

Maybe it was naïve to think that this was enough reason to take this job. Maybe he was too Vulcan or too human to accept you. Maybe he was a loner, not wanting anyone to spend time with. In any case shared genetical  outsider-ishness  was nothing to actually found anything on, not even a good working relationship. Still, maybe even if you ended up hating each other, it would still feel better that to be alone on a ship or station where nobody was like you.

“Welcome on board, lass. The quartermaster is on deck 3. He’ll tell you where to leave your stuff and he’ll hand you your shift plan”, a man in red shirt, but with high ranking stripes and a strange accent told you. You’ve been on earth all your life, still you find it difficult to  recognize  the accents and dialects all the different earth regions provided.

“Thank you, sir”, you simply replied, making your way out of the room, to find the next turbo lift. Behind you, you heard some mumbling somewhere along the lines of “See, a thank you is logical.”

It took a while to find the next turbo lift. But even when you made it to deck 3, you still felt lost. Why was this ship so huge?

“May I help you?”, you heard a deep voice and turned. The pointed ears gave him away, even before you could look at the stripes on the sleeve of his uniform shirt.

“I was told to find the quartermaster, sir. But … I probably should have studied the blueprints of the Enterprise before transferring, because I’m afraid, I’m lost.”

Commander Spock’s eyebrow rose. For a second you could swear his glance hushed over your ears. Damn, you used contractions. Again. Your mother always told you that this was  unvulcan , as precise language was a key to understanding. Had you already made a bad first impression?

“I will show you the way, Lieutenant …" 

“L/N, sir”, you replied.

“You have a human last name?”

“My father is human and I grew up on Earth. It was easier than teaching everyone how to pronounce my mother’s family name.” It had never been your decision. But as Vulcans had shown you quite  explicitely  that you’d never be considered one of them, you were glad your parents had chosen you to live with a human name. If you used a cap or hat you could even disguise as completely human, if you ever wanted.

“I see. If you would follow me?”

~~~~~~~~~~

The days went by and suddenly you felt as if you belonged on board the Enterprise. Not because of Spock. Actually he kept his distance, but not more than he kept it towards others, so at least he treated you better than other Vulcans did. It was the crew that had surprised you. They seemed to feel friendship towards Commander Spock – which made them tolerant and open towards you as well. Soon you actually were included into their small society. They didn’t judge you when your logic had flaws, when your language reverted back to slang and contractions. They liked you just the way you were.

Life actually was fine. Until the  Enterpise  had to ship a hell lot of ambassadors to Babel.

Ambassador  Sarek  was something like a legend, even for you, being so estranged from your mother’s home planet.  But you weren’t prepared to meet him. Or rather for him to actually come to you.

You were working in the labs. You were not invited to the little  party tonight, so you had no reason to hurry to get off from work early. You were working in a relaxed pace, lightly making conversation with your colleagues, when the door opened and your friends grew silent.

You looked up and saw a Vulcan standing there. Only his robes gave away who he was, as you’ve never seen him before.

„Ambassador  Sarek ? Have you lost your way? I heard the Captain was giving you the tour around the ship.“

„He was and I am not lost. She who is my wife will stay with the Captain. But before I prepare myself for tonight’s activities, I wanted to talk to you.“

„To me? “ Your mind began to race. Did you do anything wrong? Did you disgrace your species that badly that they wanted to take away your planetary nationality? Not that you ever used your Vulcan citizenship for anything. Though it had provided you with some perks – like being allowed to live on your own without any flatmates during Academy. Still, now  you didn’t need it anymore.

„Can we speak in private?“

„Of course, sir. One moment, please.“ You saved your progress and logged off from the lab computer for the day. „I will continue my work tomorrow. For the minutes I miss today I will work overtime the next few days“, you told your colleagues, trying to speak as Vulcan-like as you could. It felt as if you had a stick up your butt. This just wasn’t you.

You followed the Ambassador out of the lab and into  an empty briefing room.

„What do you wish to talk about, sir?“

„I wish to ask you if you were bonded as a child.“

You should have won a price in this moment. You managed to suppress your emotions and didn’t even move a single muscle on your face, until you were able to speak again.

„I grew up on Earth, sir. There have been no other families who would have wanted me to be betrothed to their offspring.  Not that  I believe my father would have allowed me to be betrothed.“ Actually he had told your mother that he’d want a divorce if she ever ‚sold his child‘ this way.

Sarek  seemed to be deep in thought. „What I ask you now has to be kept confidential. My son‘s former mate has chosen another. He is  unbonded , yet he is not looking for another mate. We may not agree with each other – or speak -, but I do not wish him to die, should his time come when he is still without a mate.“

„You are asking me to be your son‘s mate? Sir, I do not even know your son.“

„You are serving on the same ship as he is.“

This time you arched both brows. „Spock. Your son is Spock.“

The Ambassador nodded. „Like you he is  only half Vulcan. While he has already  achieved a lot of academical and personal honours, his blood will always prevent even the most irrelevant of families to accept him as a possible mate for their daughters.“

Charming. His son was a rotten fruit, so you should take him? 

„Unfortunately many Vulcans only value the teachings of  Surak  and IDIC outside their private lives. Many do not seem to understand IDIC at all.  I assume you know that only too well.“

That you did.  So he at least didn’t want to insult you with asking you to marry his son. „Even if I did, he is my superior officer. And we are not even friends. Why would I want to marry him? Why would he want to marry me? “

Sarek  looked at you, let his glance wander up and down your body. It didn’t feel like he was checking you out. It felt rather as if he was proving a point. „Sometimes the logical choice proves to be the most fulfilling. I hope my son will learn this lesson as well.“

With that he  nodded towards you and left the room, while you stayed behind, feeling confused. Sure, when you came to the Enterprise you may have pictured yourself with Spock.  You didn’t exactly find the thought appalling today, either.  But not appalling didn’t mean true love either. Not to mention that you had no idea what Spock thought about this.

~~~~~~~~~~

It took days until you found a way to even speak to him. The ambassadors and their staffs had already been transported off the ship, including  Sarek . A fact you found disturbing at the moment, because it would probably be easier if he stepped in to smoothen the terrain between Spock and you.

This way you had to go to him yourself.  But when you stood in front of his quarters, your courage deserted you. „It’s logical“, you told yourself.  „Just as it’s illogical to fear to talk about what is logical.“

„Yet you seem to fear it“, a voice sounded behind you. You turned around to see Commander Spock walking down the corridor towards you. „You wished to speak to me?“

Did you? You weren’t so sure anymore.

„ Come inside“, he said when you didn’t answer and went past you to his door.

You followed him inside and were met by heat and a distant smell of incense. Red walls and cultural artefacts  from Vulcan completed the impression. This looked a bit like your class mates‘ rooms in  highschool  when they all had put up college merchandise nonsense on their walls, just because they hoped to one day go there. Or to  fulfill  their parents‘ expectations? Both? Was it the same for Spock? Did he chase a past he had lost, instead?

„What exactly did you wish to talk about?“

Should you find something else to say and back off from the whole marriage thing? But there was still a Vulcan half on you that again told you that fear was illogical and needed to be suppressed, unless you could har ness it for heightened strength and caution – something you didn’t need at the moment.

„ I … believe it would be worth consideration to bond.“

„I beg your pardon?“

„You are  unbonded , which could result in your death. A grave loss for  Starfleet , the Federation and both our  homeworlds . I am  unbonded  as well. And while I will not need a  bondmate , I am the logical choice. A hybrid just as yourself.“

„But you are a stranger to me just as I am a stranger to you.“

„If we were children, we’d be strangers as well. And we would not even have a choice. Now we do. If there is any other potential  bondmate , forget my proposal. But if there is none, consider it.“

„You are a  Starfleet  officer“, Spock stated.

You arched a brow. „Last time I looked into the mirror, I wore the uniform, yes.“

„What are your plans for the future? Would you wish to settle down?“

„While there are so many wonders out there to see and explore? H …” You stopped yourself in time not to say ‘hell no’. Would he understand and tolerate your more  earthern  style of speaking? You hoped so, but when you looked around here, he seemed so explicitly Vulcan. Maybe you were the illogical choice for him after all? But then again, who else would be better? “How could I settle down as long as I have not seen everything worth seeing?”, you finally used the ‘h’ still hanging in the air.

Spock inclined his head.

„Was this a test?“

„My former betrothed worked on Vulcan. Had she chosen to form a marriage bond with me, I would have had to go to Vulcan at least every seven years, no matter which mission I would currently be occupied with. It appeared not to be a pragmatic situation“, Spock explained and you nodded, although you never had any responsibilities like this – and never would have. While you were expected to visit your family whenever you actually were in orbit around Earth, you alone – and your captain‘s shore leave schedule – determined how long you‘d stay. Not biology or rituals. Understandable that Spock didn’t care to have this freedom of decision taken away from him.

„Not a problem you would have with me as your mate“, you told him. „Although I have to say I remind myself of a  hovercar  salesman right now.“

„Do expand.“

„I grew up on Earth and there is one cliché I often encountered. Salesmen for personal transport vehicles seem to have formed a certain stereotype over many centuries. They are said to be opportunistic. They lie,  overexaggerate  the advantages of the vehicle and forget to mention or play down the disadvantages.“

„And you feel like you forgot to mention the disadvantages inherent to your proposal?“

You shrugged. „Yes. But actually I felt like I was trying too hard to sell myself. But sure there are disadvantages. If either of us ever fell in love with somebody else, with our bond we would be doomed to miss our potential true love – if one believes in such a thing. “

Again you felt as if this was a bad idea. You were not even sure that you wanted to share your future with this man. Although he actually was handsome, now that you were so close to him. Dark, warm eyes, human eyes, with the rather angular, slim physique that seemed natural to most Vulcans.

„Every decision one makes might lead to unexpected negative results“, Spock mused, and you couldn’t tell if he was talking to you or to himself.

„And sometimes the logical choice is the most fulfilling.“

He looked up, his eyes meeting yours. „You have talked to my father.“

„Rather the other way around. But I found his points convincing enough to at least ask you for your opinion. Especially that he doesn’t want you to die.“ Damn, another contraction. But Spock didn’t even seem to notice them anymore, or at least he deemed another reaction to it illogical and repetitive. „And I found myself not wanting to know you died because of lacking a mate either. Here I am. A mate, if you wish for and need one. If not, I take no  offence .“

You were growing tired of this. Not in the angry way, though. It just drained your energy more than you ever imagined. You just wanted this conversation to be over, no matter what he ended up deciding.

„ I shall meld with you, to see if our minds are compatible“, he finally said.

You nodded. „Now?“

„No. I will need to prepare and I suggest, you do to. But you are welcome to meditate with me and we will meld afterwards.“

You hadn’t meditated in a long while. When you had decided not to fully follow the Vulcan way, it was one of the first things you had toned down in your life. Sure, every now and then it felt good to clear your thoughts, but sitting on the floor on a thin mat? Uncomfortable as hell.  But this time it sounded a bit like a first date, so you nodded.

„I will need a moment to dress myself in a meditation robe. Wait here“, he said and disappeared into his bathroom. When Spock came back, he looked even more intimidating, yet completely changed. Relaxed, but dignified. Sexy – though you didn’t think this was a word he’d like to have associated with his meditation outfit.

With a gesture he  led you to his meditation mat. The lighted incense and you kneeled down side by side. You closed your eyes and tried to  center  yourself  enough that he wouldn’t shy away from your mind later this evening.

You regulated your breath and felt yourself calm down.

When Spock lightly brushed your shoulder after what might have been minutes or hours, you  realized  that you had actually reached a state of meditation that let you forget everything around you.

„Do you need more time?“, he asked, his voice little more than a whisper so he wouldn’t distract you. 

You shook your head and rose to your feet to be led to his bed. For a moment you wondered what he was planning to do now, then you understood  that he just wanted you to sit down without a desk between the two of you – which made sense when you wanted to meld.

„You, me, or both of us?“, you asked, raising your hand to hover over his psi-points. You actually never heard of something like a  synchronized  meld, but maybe it lowered the strength and concentration necessary to join minds?

„I seem to have a certain talent for melding even with foreign species, as well as profound experience. Can you say the same?“

„No. Alright, you initiated the meld then“, you agreed and his warm fingers found their way to your face. How could he feel so much warmer than you? Was his body more Vulcan, when this genes were dominant in both of you?

„My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts“, Spock almost chanted and then he was inside your head, like the sun going up and bathing you in warmth. The landscape of your mind, soft fields of grass close to the seashore,  lay in full sunshine today.

„Peaceful“, Spock commented , his voice breathing through the landscape without a body,  and it sounded like a compliment.

„But rather  terrestrial.“

„You are partly of earth, maybe more than I am. But it is nothing to be ashamed of. You have chosen your path and you alone can judge if you chose wisely.“

„But right now you are the one to judge me, to decide wether or not I am worth your time, and finally worth your mind and soul.“

Clouds began to spread at the sky when your feelings of self-doubt surfaced.

„If your  character and your emotions or lack thereof  would endanger my emotional control, the fault would be mine, not yours. And therefore right now I am first and foremost judging my own abilities, not your person.“

With that he drew back and left you alone in your own mind. Alone with the feeling of not having the slightest idea what was going on between the both of you – and what was not going on.

But then something dragged you into his own mind, into a landscape of harsh red rocks and sand burning hot in the light of two suns.  Although you didn’t feel corporal, couldn’t see your own body, you felt hot.

„So, this is Vulcan?“, you asked.

„You have never been to the  homeworld ?“

„Maybe as a toddler, but since then I have always been on Earth or on ships and stations. Never on Vulcan.“

„This is not a real place on Vulcan, but a combination of certain places and characteristics that  symbolize  my character, upbringing and experiences and mental state. “ 

You wondered if it was the same with you. Your landscape had looked similar to a place you had once visited on vacation, but if it actually was the same place, you couldn’t tell.

„It is beautiful here, although a little desolate. And too warm to spend a whole life here without any shade to seek shelter in. But … beautiful nonetheless.“

Calling somebody’s headspace desolate was probably not the best idea, but thankfully Spock didn’t seem to mind. Instead he simply moved you to a place where you could see dried roots of what once might have been a sturdy desert plant. „This was my bond to  T‘Pring  once.“ 

You had always thought of a bond as a link, something different, rather like a rope or a chain.

„Somehow it is“, Spock said. Clearly he had heard your mind work. „But somehow it is not, as well. I am unsure if we will ever completely understand the way, brains work. Not even the disciplined ones of Vulcans. But a bond is not just a connection. It is something that grows roots inside you, as well. That grows stronger in time, if you nurture it .”

You wondered how much more you missed about this side of your heritage. To be fair, your mother had offered you advice and lessons in everything Vulcan you might be interested in. But given the reaction you had got from other Vulcans – usually they were taken aback when they saw you – you had preferred to embrace human culture, or rather find your own way walking the line and not really belonging anywhere. Why would you have chosen to learn about bonds, when you were certain that you would never fall in love with a Vulcan anyway? Not that you’ve fallen in love with one now. Have you?

“You do  realize  that I am still able to hear your thoughts?”

“Well, let us say on a subconscious level I knew, but on a conscious level I forgot?” At least in his mind he could not see you blush. It really looked unhealthy when your cheeks coloured themselves green.

“Shall we terminate the meld?”, Spock asked.

“We don’t … sorry, do not have to. I do not feel any discomfort being here.” 

But you DID feel something like fond exasperation and it wasn’t your own. “You do not have to change your natural way of speaking just to please me. Now come, it is better to discuss things where one has the privacy to think before letting the other know of that thoughts.”

He gently guided you out of the meld and you both opened your eyes. Again you noticed how beautiful he was.  You thanked all the deity in this universe that now he could no longer hear your thoughts.

„So, what now?“, you asked him.

„Our minds did not repel each other.  Should we decide to bond,  we can do so“, he explained patiently.

„And do you wish to bond?“  That was the huge question you still didn’t have any answer to.

„I do not wish to  die“ , he replied. Which could mean anything, if you were honest.  Even only in terms of Pon Farr i t could mean that he would bond with you when it became necessary, or that he was willing to take early precautions, or that it was up to you if you wanted to be the one making sure he wouldn’t die. And those were only a few of the subtexts of his words you could think of.

You sighed and took a risk. Two fingers stretched out, you searched for his hand. „I will not let you  die“ , you said.

His hand felt warm under your fingertips. A tingling sensation spread through your body when his fingers wandered over yours, only barely touching, but still there, everywhere. Never and always touching and touched, came to your mind and you had to smile.

Finally  he nodded.  “It is the logical thing to do.”

You smirked. “And maybe it’ll even be fun.”

**Author's Note:**

> As I've not really fulfilled the request, maybe someday I'll post a second chapter. But for now this is it.


End file.
